FAQ for Q&A

[EricH]

1) Launching minibots--is it legal under a) free flight or b) tethered to the pole?

2) Minibots at the top of the pole: Do they have to stay there until after the match, or can they slide down during/after the match under their own power or via gravity to make retrieval easier?

3) Are you allowed to move your own tubes, other than ubertubes, around after they are in scoring position?

4) If a minibot is moving upwards at the end of a match, does it still get the 10 seconds to finish for points?

5) How many minibots can one hostbot deploy?

6) NXT power, if used--is there some form of schematic or something?

7) What methods are acceptable for removing the Minibot from the post? For example, could it drive itself down autonomously? Could someone bring a long pole out and activate something on the robot to make it come down?

8) For determination of "above the line" during deployment, is the top of the Minibot supposed to be below the line, or just the hostbot device?

8a) Are hostbots allowed to push the minibots upwards or towards the post, provided that this is done below the deployment line?

9) Pneumatics rules are unclear: How many and what type of a) storage tanks, b) cylinders, and c) other pneumatic actuators are allowed to be used on a robot?

[Bill_B]

Originally Posted by h1n1is4pigs

How high are the different levels of the scoring rack?
i looked through the manual and technical drawings but could not find a specific number. thanks in advance

the Team field elements PDF pages 1 and 2 contain the PVC cut lengths for a peg rack pole assemblies.
for example, the first one is:
A 16.875" [428.6 mm] segment on top 1
B 14.125" [358.8 mm] pegs 3
C 35.25" [895.4 mm] between the two pairs of pegs 2
D 37.375" [949.3 mm] lower segment to the floor 1

From this you can get very close to the heights involved. However, the dimensions of the T-fittings used to make the assembly will affect the heights slightly. That is, the vertical segments are not strictly additive. Not a plumbing nightmare at all.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by ThirteenOfTwo

Eh, sorry. Should've been clearer.

The question in a nutshell is "does <G61> apply to itself?" Team 2 in the scenario clearly forced Team 1 to trigger <G61> when they moved in front of them for a body block, so wouldn't <G61> activate again and excuse the first <G61>, thus giving Team 2 a penalty?

No penalties are given by <G61>. No penalty.

Also, Team 2 did not force Team 1 to push them in. Team 1 did not go around them when they had the option. No penalty either way.

[ThirteenOfTwo]

The penalty wouldn't come from <G61>, but <G61> does state that "any rule violations committed by the affected ALLIANCE shall be excused", which would include the violation of <G61> that negated the first penalty.

The second bit of your response is a more direct reply to my question. "Is it the defender's fault for getting in the way or the scorer's fault for not going around?" was a pretty major point of contention last year and I want to get it cleared up early.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by ThirteenOfTwo

The penalty wouldn't come from <G61>, but <G61> does state that "any rule violations committed by the affected ALLIANCE shall be excused", which would include the violation of <G61> that negated the first penalty.

It's still <G61>. NO PENALTY. Team 2 made a legitimate defensive maneuver, taking a gamble that they wouldn't be pushed in, and figuring that there would be no penalty if they did under <G61>. They lost the gamble. Still no <G61> penalty. It's legitimate defense.

Good defense: getting to where your opponent wants to go and trying to keep them out.

Great offense: Going to where you want to go despite any defense, doing what you were going to do there, and doing it again.

[bassoondude]

Originally Posted by EricH;994068}
The reason for the minibot moving upwards is that any scores within 10 seconds[U

after the end of the match[/u]

According to rule <G02>, the game ends when all minibots make it to the top of the tower, or when the clock hits 0, whichever comes 1st.

The AUTONOMOUS PERIOD ends when the ARENA timer displays zero seconds. The MATCH ends if all TOWERS are TRIGGERED or when the ARENA timer displays zero seconds, whichever comes first.

emphasis mine

[EricH]

Originally Posted by bassoondude

According to rule <G02>, the game ends when all minibots make it to the top of the tower, or when the clock hits 0, whichever comes 1st.

emphasis mine

According to rule <G68>, scores are assessed either when everything on the field stops moving, or at 10 seconds, whichever is first. Because of this, it is foreseeable that one minibot is released in a match, climbs up halfway before the clock hits zero, and finishes climbing 9 seconds later, triggering the target. Does that Minibot count? I'm not certain for sure. I suspect that it would. But if the targets shut off at clock = zero seconds, then it does not.

That is what that question is asking. Remember, minibots have zero connection to the field controller, so they aren't shut off when the robots are.

[PAR_WIG1350]

Originally Posted by Jack Jones

Another for the Q&A:
{RE}
<R92> The following items are the only permitted materials for use on the MINIBOTS:
...
C. exactly one 12V rechargeable NiMH battery pack identical to those supplied in the FTC kit of parts (PN W739057)
...
E. No more than one NXT controller with the Bluetooth functionality disabled,

QUESTION: How are we supposed to power the NXT controller without using its self-contained batery(ies)?

well, leaving out the batteries ensures the Bluetooth is disabled.

Acctually, <R34> specifically allows for batteries integral to COTS computing devices, with the example of laptop batteries given.

<R35> reenforces this rule by making an exception for "a battery contained in a COTS computing device"

I think it would be the same for the NXT, since it is a COTS computing device.

[ThirteenOfTwo]

After the initial 3-point penalty for breaking the plane of an opponent's zone, is there any penalty for remaining in the zone? Could a team take the three-point penalty and then remain in the zone indefinitely to run interference on scoring robots?

[Bill_B]

Originally Posted by ThirteenOfTwo

After the initial 3-point penalty for breaking the plane of an opponent's zone, is there any penalty for remaining in the zone? Could a team take the three-point penalty and then remain in the zone indefinitely to run interference on scoring robots?

Reminds me of the well-heeled parking scofflaw who remarked that the $15 parking fine was cheaper than the garage was charging. If your robot cannot do anything else, you mean it might not be completely worthless?

[ThirteenOfTwo]

Originally Posted by Bill_B

Reminds me of the well-heeled parking scofflaw who remarked that the $15 parking fine was cheaper than the garage was charging. If your robot cannot do anything else, you mean it might not be completely worthless?

Pretty much. That's why I was asking about getting pushed into the zone earlier; a team could deliberately get themselves pushed in for no penalty and then stay in the zone, raise a screen, and block off half the pegs. Violates the intent of the law, but not the letter.

[mcf747]

Can we add the dimensioning referenced here to the list?

-Matthew

[mcf747]

Proposed question:

Is it legal to create a pressure vessle out of the alloted "Aluminum sheet, 90* angle, u-channel, tube, bar" listed in <R92> H to act as a "rocket" propelling the minibot up?

Anyone remember the good old days playing with bottle rockets out of old soda bottles?

-Matthew

[Hallry]

Originally Posted by mcf747

Proposed question:

Is it legal to create a pressure vessle out of the alloted "Aluminum sheet, 90* angle, u-channel, tube, bar" listed in <R92> H to act as a "rocket" propelling the minibot up?

Anyone remember the good old days playing with bottle rockets out of old soda bottles?

-Matthew

Would this minibot attached to the pole, or are you planning on 'launching' it straight from your hostbot?

[GaryVoshol]

I don't know what question number we're at, but add:

--- how big is the playing configuration sizing cylinder - 60" or 84" ?
--- can a tube intentionally be placed over the minibot tower?
--- does making a logo also double the score of any ubertubes under that logo?